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Support staff, the hidden professionals of the education system

The GMB union has responded to a Sutton Trust report that says two thirds of primary schools are cutting teaching assistants. Rehana Azam, GMB National Secretary, said: “Almost a decade of Conservative education cuts has left our children’s future in a perilous state “When underfunded schools are desperately trying to balance the books school support staff, including teaching assistants, are too often seen as a soft target. But these cuts...

have a terrible impact on our schools. “Without support staff –the hidden professionals of the education system - teachers are being left with completely unmanageable workloads, and schools can’t function if buildings can’t be secured and children can’t be fed.

“Teaching assistants are already working above and beyond their core roles to fill the gaps left with mass numbers of teachers exiting the sector.

“Ministers need to stop denying that school budgets are being cut in the face of all the evidence and make sure we don’t jeopardise the education of an entire generation.”